Language Access Initiative

Pro Bono Net is committed to making content on our partner sites accessible to all residents, regardless of fluency in English. To this end, we offer quarterly LawHelp Language Access Minigrants inviting partners to request website content be translated into languages other than English as well as a bank of easily adaptable translated website content. This opportunity is made possible through an in kind grant between Lingusitic Systems Foundation, the charitable arm of the Linguistic Systems, Inc and Pro Bono Net.

Priority AreasClick to expand

There are certain priority areas Pro Bono Net and LawHelp are especially committed to. Specifically, if you are a partner with little or no translated materials on your site, please reach out to your contact at Pro Bono Net to talk about your translation needs, accessing and using the translation bank and creating a plan to translate your site's navigation text as well as content.

You may have a specific project requiring translated materials outside of regular content for your website. If this is the case, please reach out to your Pro Bono Net contact to speak further about your needs.

All LawHelp partners are encouraged to submit materials for translation, and to utilize the translation bank. We may accept translation requests for statewide website content outside the LawHelp network as our capacity allows.

Translation BankClick to expand

As LawHelp partners submit materials for translation, some of the materials that may be most helpful to other partner states will be posted in the translation bank. The following are materials currently available:

This list will be updated as we receive more content. If you have any questions please contact xkarsten@probono.net

Language Access MiniGrantClick to expand

This opportunity is made possible through an in kind grant between Lingusitic Systems Foundation, the charitable arm of the Linguistic Systems, Inc and Pro Bono Net. For more information on this partnership, see our press release. If you have any questions, or would like to speak more on this, please reach out to Xander Karsten or your contact at Pro Bono Net.

Applying for the Language Access MiniGrant

Any content on your statewide website is eligible for translation. This includes pieces of legal information, organizational profile text, navigation elements and other text that users access to utilize your statewide website. Other materials may be translated based on our capacity. Please note: This is not designed for emergency translation needs, translations can take between 4 weeks (or longer) to complete. Please submit the translation request with the text you wish to be translated via email to xkarsten@probono.net.

Please submit your request a .doc file. If you attach a pdf, you will be asked to resubmit. Please fill out all sections of the document, including the word count of each document. If you do not include the word count, you will be asked to resubmit your request.

You must provide the text you want in an attached file. Please do NOT submit URLS, hyperlinks or PDF files. Please also include your state's postal abbreviation in the file name.

You may submit up to 5 documents in up to 3 languages. Please rank both the documents and the languages you feel are most important, and we will do our best to accommodate each request. If you have a specific need for additional materials please contact xkarsten@probono.net or your contact person at Pro Bono Net.

Eligible ParticipantsClick to expand

The Language Access MiniGrant and the translation bank are both available to LawHelp partners. If your agency provides content to a LawHelp site, and you would like that content translated, or access to the translation bank, please contact your statewide website administrator or your contact person at Pro Bono Net. If you are not currently a LawHelp partner, but would like translation services for your statewide website, please note that we are tentatively planning to accept requests in the Summer and Winter, as funding allows. If you are not currently a LawHelp partner and do not have access to the translation bank, please contact Xander or reach out to your PBN contact person.

Frequently Asked QuestionsClick to expand

How should I select materials for translation?

States vary on what materials they feel are appropriate for translation, and there are a few considerations you should take into account.

Please note: the typical turnaround for job requests is between 1-2 months. Therefore, this is not appropriate for emergencies or for content when you know the law is going to change in the near future. If you have content that has been reviewed and/or updated by an attorney in the last few months, this may be the perfect opportunity to have the materials translated, as you know the content will not change in the foreseeable future.

What happens if my content changes after I submit a request?

You cannot update or substitute materials after the submission deadline. We can cancel translation requests and you can resubmit the new version when we next offer the opportunity. Alternatively, you accept the translated document and resubmit it for changes or updates when we offer the next opportunity. Please just be aware, once the submission deadline has passed, no substitutions or changes can be made unless you are canceling a request.

Are there times when my content will not be translated?

There are only a few reasons your request may not be translated. The most likely is grant capacity, or that the language you requested is unavailable.

Grant Capacity

We strive to ensure all interested partners have the opportunity to receive some translated materials in each opportunity. While we accept all content, we may ask that longer materials be replaced with shorter ones, so we can address all partners needs. If such a replacement is necessary, we will contact you and work with you to find appropriate materials. Depending on the volume of the requests, we may limit the number of translations per partner.

Requested language is unavailable

There are times when LSI will inform us that the language you requested is unavailable. We do not currently have a list of all available languages for which LSI provides translations. This can happen up to 2 months after the submission. If this does happen, we will work together to find content that is ready for translation into languages that are available, and substitute the submitted content. You will not be penalized.

A good rule of thumb is to submit the materials you want, in the language(s) you want- if there's a problem, we'll work together to make sure your needs are addressed.

Trainings & Additional ResourcesClick to expand

Trainings

Throughout the year Pro Bono Net, LawHelp Interactive, LawHelp and our partners provide trainings in Language Access, LEP concerns and ensuring your website is accessible to all users. Below is a listing of these trainings: